


It’s a Complete Secret, so Naturally the Whole Family Knows

by RandomReader13



Series: Padfoot [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Black Family Drama (Harry Potter), Black Family-centric (Harry Potter), Gen, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:28:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28398477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandomReader13/pseuds/RandomReader13
Summary: Everyone knows that the Black family is rich, powerful, and a bit too dark for their own good.Fewer people know that the Black family is famous for their dogs.Only a very, very few people know that the Black family is made entirely of busybodies.Nothing stays secret in this family for long.
Series: Padfoot [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2060997
Comments: 2
Kudos: 87





	It’s a Complete Secret, so Naturally the Whole Family Knows

**Author's Note:**

> Title is a slightly modified quote from Dumbledore!  
> Remember the summary for this series? Yeah, this is where the 'a little less broken' bit comes in more obviously. Keep that in mind for characterization ;)

Walburga broke the news after the winter holiday ended. Regulus had been on tenterhooks throughout the fortnight, clearly waiting for her to act on the information he had hesitantly given her. He had been especially tense during Sirius’ sixteenth birthday party and the annual Christmas Eve party.

Walburga scoffed quietly as she undid the clasp of her necklace. Those had been fine times to make a dramatic pronouncement, but perhaps she had been letting her temper get the best of her lately, if her son couldn’t imagine her having a little discretion. Well, that wouldn’t do any longer. Sirius had put himself in serious danger, and clear heads were needed to mitigate it.

“Your son,” she announced, laying her earrings in their box, “has become an illegal animagus.”

Walburga counted all the way to two before Orion blinked, folding his robe gracefully over the foot of their bed and walking up behind her.

“Has he now?” he asked, meeting her eyes in the mirror. “And he just told you this, did he?”

“Regulus did,” she said, removing her bracelet. “Came to me positively shaking. He’s convinced his brother will be going to Azkaban.”

Orion snorted, fingers deftly working her hair out of its elaborate updo. “I never doubted the same, but I did not think it was going to occur quite this soon.”

“Well it’s not going to occur, obviously,” Walburga said. She stared at Orion, waiting for confirmation. There was no doubt about it, but foolish anxiety grew in her chest anyway as he didn’t answer or meet her eyes, carefully pulling the last pins out.

“Orion,” she said.

He glanced up and they locked eyes, steel grey battling with deep brown. Orion delicately placed the hairpins in her hand. “Given the lack of hysterical displays the past few days,” he said, “I assume Sirius is not aware of your knowledge.”

“Of course not,” she sniffed. “I thought discretion the better part of valor.”

Orion’s lips quirked. “A first for you, I am sure.”

“Orion Black!” she cried, going to whip around and give him what for, but his fingers in her hair prevented her, as he carefully undid the braids and twists. She settled for giving him a harsh glare through the mirror. Estrella stood up from where she had been lying beside the vanity and shoved her nose into Walburga’s stomach. She stroked the dog’s head for a moment. “I can be discreet,” she said stiffly. “If the past fortnight had revealed nothing else it has revealed that.”

“But it hasn’t just revealed that,” Orion said thoughtfully, reaching over her shoulder to pick up her hairbrush. “What do you propose we do about the boy?”

Walburga snorted, fingering her wand, her other hand still resting on Estrella’s soft head. “Well, your father did always say we were too soft on him. Perhaps this is the proof. Azkaban, Orion!” Her voice trembled just slightly on the name of the prison, and Orion paused to drop a hand on her shoulder.

“Sirius is not going to Azkaban,” he said firmly. “Unless you plan on turning him in that is.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped.

They stood together for a moment in silence. “What are we going to do, Orion?” Walburga asked helplessly. “It’s those horrid Gryffindor boys he’s hanging around with, I’m sure of it. First they fill his head with nonsense, and now they’re convincing him to do this!”

“Our son is not so easily convinced,” he reminded her with a sigh. “If he has done anything it is because he wants to.”

“If?” she demanded. “You think perhaps Regulus was mistaken?”

Orion tapped on the back of her chair thoughtfully. “Regulus is a sensitive boy,” he finally said. “It is possible he missed Sirius and so projected that on a dog.”

“But you must see the facts, Orion!” she cried. “A Black dog! And with very human mannerisms!”

“Yes, that is a puzzle,” he said. “But unless we have proof we cannot be sure.”

“And what exactly do you propose?” she asked acerbically. “March up to him and say, ‘Turn into your animagus form this instant, young man!’” She snorted. “That hasn’t worked on him since he was eleven and well you know it!”

“Of course I know it,” Orion said tightly.

“Then you also know there’s no chance Sirius will do something as foolish as to change form while we are present.”

“Well, his foolishness does continue to profound,” he said wryly. “But I do see your point. We will have to be cautious. He might do something stupid if he realizes he‘s been found out.”

“A secret, then,” Walburga nodded. “I’ll make sure to inform Regulus in our next letter. Though I’m certainly not telling him to stop meeting with the dog!” she added, tilting her head just so so Orion would know not to argue with her. Her boys hadn’t gotten on in years, ever since Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor. Perhaps Regulus could bring his brother back to his senses. Sirius clearly missed him, if he would go to the risk of revealing his animal form to his brother.

Orion met her eyes, understanding the thoughts running through her mind in an instant. “Of course not,” he said mildly.

* * *

Narcissa was practicing an embroidering charm when her sitting room door was kicked open. Praesidio rose to his feet, body tense. Narcissa sighed at the imprint of a boot on the pristine paint and gestured for Praesdio to stand down. “Hello, Bella.”

Bellatrix swanned into the room, Ignis at her heels, and plopped down on the sofa. Her hair was as wild as her grin, and she promptly propped her boots on the coffee table. Narcissa held back another sigh.

“Have you heard the news, Cissy? It’s absolutely _delicious_.”

Oh no, that phrase said with that expression never boded well. “I’m not sure what you’re referring to,” Narcissa said, frowning down at her embroidery and twirling her wand again. So far all of her attempts had ended with snarled thread instead of elegant birds. It was something to do with the flick....

Bella reached out and plucked the wand from Narcissa’s hand.

“Bella!” Narcissa hissed, trying to grab it back.

“Listen for two minutes and you’ll forget all about your silly embroidery, Cissy,” Bella urged, holding her wand above her head like they were children.

Narcissa sighed. There was no arguing with Bella when she got like this. Well, actually there was no arguing with Bella at all. “Alright, what?”

Bella leaned in close, speaking in a giddy whisper. “Sirikins has become an animagus!”

Narcissa stared at her. “No he has not.”

“Yes! I got it from Aunt Lucretia, you know she can never keep her mouth shut.”

“We would have heard about it! And what about the ceremony?”

“Oh but that’s the _delicious_ part,” Bella leered. “He’s not registered.”

Narcissa stared at her. “What?” she breathed.

“He’s not registered!” Bella cackled. “Ickle Sirikins became an illegal animagus all on his lonesome! Aunt Walburga only knows because little Reggie worked it out! Apparently,” she added, shifting closer, “Sirikins missed his little brother and instead of talking to him he made friends with him as a dog!”

“A dog?” Narcissa asked over Bella’s laughter. “That’s his form then?”

“Oh not just any old dog. A _Black_ dog.”

“Sweet Merlin.”

“It’s a total secret, mind,” Bella said, lounging back against the sofa. “Aunt Lucretia says not to say a word, Aunt Walburga told her in complete confidence.”

“Quite,” Narcissa said wryly. If Aunt Walburga had really wanted to keep her son’s activities secret, she should never have confided in Aunt Lucretia of all people. That was the danger of having a gossip as one’s best friend. Although.... Narcissa looked at her tangled embroidery thoughtfully. Aunt Walburga was rather more cunning than many people realized, too focused on her loud bursts of temper to recognize the plans woven underneath. It was quite possible Aunt Walburga wanted the entire family to know, in which case Aunt Lucretia was the perfect person to tell. But why would she want the news to get out like this? Bella was delighted, of course she was. Sirius had always been her favorite, she was always sneaking him off to practice spells, even after his disastrous sorting. Bella had always chafed against the constraints of the Black family name and the requirements of society, and she saw a kindred spirit in Sirius, even if she mocked the direction it was taking. Anything that scandalized the family more than her own boots and bad manners was enough for Bella. But not every member of the family would be as thrilled as she was.

* * *

“I told you!” Arcturus shouted as he stumped his way into the Grimmauld Place study. Orion held back a sigh with immense effort. “I told you you were being too soft on that boy! Now look at him, breaking the law before his sixteenth birthday. Horrible mark on the family, let me tell you.”

“Good evening, Father,” Orion said tiredly, giving up his hopes for a quiet evening spent with his paper and firewhiskey.

“And you’re not even doing anything about it!” the old man continued, slamming his cane on the floor for emphasis. “Letting him go swanning back off to school, right back to those blood traitors and half-breeds! Now if I had my way, we’d never have reached this stage! It’ll be hard to reign him back in this late, I’ll tell you that. How is a criminal meant to carry on as the next head of the family, that’s what I want to know.”

“Father, please,” Orion said. “Walburga and I have a plan-“

“Oh and what plan is that? Your wife,” he sneered, “kept this a secret from you! Lost control of the son _and_ the wife, you have. I’d not be surprised if Regulus was next!”

Orion stiffed. “Father,” he said, only keeping his voice respectful through force of will and years of training. “I respect your opinions.” A vast over-exaggeration. “But Sirius is _my_ son, and I will be dealing with him as I see fit.”

“Oh and what am I then, chopped flobberworms?” Arcturus roared. “You're not the head of the family yet, Orion, and you’ll do well not to forget!”

“Of course not, Father. We plan to use this knowledge to the family’s benefit.”

“And how are you planning to do that?” the old man demanded.

“You know that Sirius has been...resistant to his training,” Orion said, leaning against the mantle and taking a swig of his firewhisky.

“And if you’d just take my advice-!”

“I am not _beating_ my son!” Orion roared back. Arcturus’ eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on his cane, and Orion took another long pull of his drink. “Apologies, Father,” he managed to force out, voice back to its usual calm tones. “The stress of the situation must be getting to me more than I realized.”

“A lot of things you don’t _realize,_ hm my boy?” Arcturus sneered.

“Our plan,” Orion forged ahead, “is to allow Sirius and Regulus to grow closer. That is desirous, even in the...unusual form it has taken.”

“Doesn’t even have the backbone to reveal himself,” Arcturus scoffed. “Hiding behind the form of a dog. Disgraceful.”

“Yes, well, we’re allowing them to become closer and then hoping to expand those efforts to the rest of the family as well,” Orion said, leaning heavier on the mantle. “It is clear Sirius missed his family, and simply doesn’t know how to show it. If we seem on board with this stage, he may grow more comfortable with the idea of doing so as himself.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

Orion marked the gleam in his father’s eye and gritted his teeth in a grim parody of a smile. “Then I shall have a strong piece of blackmail to force him to do my bidding,” he said.

Arcturus smiled darkly back and Orion relaxed slightly, knowing he had appeased his father enough to stay his hand. “Now you’re sounding like a man!” Arcturus declared, turning back to the door. “You’d do well to take a similar stance with that wife of yours. Entirely too free-spoken for a woman,” he muttered, stumping out of the room.

Orion’s knuckles turned white around his glass. “Of course, Father,” he murmured. Orion shut the door with a wave of his wand, barely managing to keep it at a click instead of a slam. He knocked back the rest of his glass and poured himself another.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this, decided to add another Regulus section, and ended up accidentally doubling the word count. I'm going to post that section on its own tomorrow, since it's long enough for its own work :)
> 
> Also, thank you all so much for your kudos and comments. They mean the world to me.


End file.
